Printing cylinder adjustment and locking means



Sept. 29, 1953 H. E. PEYREBRUNE PRINTING CYLINDER ADJUSTMENT AND LOCKING MEANS Filed July 17, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l wm mv vn mm, n. bm AY c. 1 on v om Nm n ifi-- m lll m MI m. mm. Nm. t

. mm wm Sept' 29, 1953 H. E. PEYREBRUNE 2,653,538

PRINTING CYLINDER ADJUSTMENT AND LOCKING MEANS Filed July 17, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

Henn' E. Peyrebrune BY Patented Sept. 29, 1953 vr"UNIll-lD STATES PTEN T 4'0F F iliCE V'PRIN TING YIINDER AN" `D LOCKIN G MEANS :Henri Eaieyrehrune, RiversFox-estflll., assigner-'to Mich-le PrintngePress l &.Manufaeti iring\ Gom- .;.panyvChicagm-Ill., a corporation lof Delaware -Applcaticnilly 17, 1950, :'SerialfNo.ii74-,'2 63 (Cl. .lOl-1248) 1 This .invent-ion .relates :to :improvements lin rotary printing presses 'and iti is directed imore particularly to mechaismiffo'r eiecting Vlateral -adjustment .of `the form .cylinders iof multi-'color presses andfor maintainin'gthe cylinders .in their .adjustedposition In pro cess printing, vwhereby multi-co1or"w.'ork

.is I accomplished., the .diiere'nt color impressions :are applied in succession from theyindividual color plates on successive 'form :cylinders and these impressions must be yin perfect .register .relation so .that the nished vprints #will lbelof acceptable quality.

Many devices are in use whereby cylinders of printing presses .canbe adjusted .laterally as well as circumferentially for the pur-pose oi bringing .the .printing plates into register with-each other, but not any of the mechanisms known to me .have .incorporated therein, provisions ...for lelirni- .natingall playin :the .adjusting members when the respective formcylindersare locked in their adjusted positions. rlhis provision rof positive locking means whereby `all :manufacturingtolerances Yin the adjusting mechanism, wear inthe operating parts, etc. can -be compensated for is highlydesirablein order to-secure suchfcylinders `againstany unintended lateral shifting -while the press isin operation.

Therefore, .itis .one `of .the pr-imary yobjects of my invention to providea device which will not only accomplish lateraladjustment .of a 'printing cylinder but will .also .include means for locking the cylinder securely in its .adjusted position.

Another object of my inventionis Yto provide alocking device which'will besimple in construc- 'tion and efficient in .its operation.

A still further object of .myinvention resides in the provision of adjusting means for cylinders, having indicia associated .therewith to lindicate the degree of adjustment Vimparted Atov-al cylinder.

vStill further objects and .inherentadvantages of my invention Willbecomeapparent from Lthe .specification when .read vin conjunction with the accompanying .drawings of which:

Figure 1 .is a Vfront elevational View, 4iii-section, showing the plate cylinder of a ,printing .press embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is an end view of Figure 1 as-seen from the left;

Figure .3 is an enlarged view .taken along `line 'III-III of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view `of Aa. portion of yFigure .1, and

Figure 5 is a View showing the adjusting levers in their locked position.

fRefen-'ingrno'w--more specifically to Figure 11 -of Ithedrawings afplate-.cylinder I-U-havingthe jour- -nal-members H and I2 formed integral there- Ifvvithf--is.,journalledforrotation in the side frame members-l=f3 and of alconventional multi-color printing press. In the particular embodiment il- Alu'strated, the journalling-means for the cylinder Vcomprise 'the-combination radial and thrust bearings Iv51and I6 and their respective housings 4I1 and lwhichv are mounted on the journal members II and I2 respectively. On the right end fof the cylinder, as viewed in this gure, the housing |8 and its associated bearings I6 are maintained in .position Without radial or end .clearance on the journal I2 yby means of the `collar .I9 whichfis held in vposition by the-nut 2 I. The arrangementat -the other end .of the cylinderis quite ysimilar with the housing I1 and bearings .I5 being rsecured in position on the journal member I I by the collar 22 and nuty 23. As a'reslt, .the bearings AI5 and I6 and housing Il and I8 `form an integral part of -the Acylinder' assembly, .permitting independent rotary motion ci the cylinder., but being movable as a unit with lsaid cylinder when lateral adjustments thereof aremade n v .For this reason,the housing Hand I8'are slidablymoiinted 'inthe frame members I3 and Il! Lto enable'th'em to move laterally` with the cylinder, but they are restrained from rotating "therewith by 'the keys 2li and '25 which fit into grooves yprovided"therefor in the journal openings o'f'the frame members I3 'and I4 and in the respectiveliou'sings 'Hand I8. y y The bearings lhousings I1 and I8 are valmost `identical in construction withthe exception that 'housing Ij'|,"o`n the l'feedside of thepress, 'is provided with threads '21 yon Aa portion `of 'its vpcriphery which projects 4'beyond the side Vframe member I3. A pair of annular, externally vtoothed "'n'iits "-28 `and `29 "are adju'stably mounted `/on 'the `'threads '21 of the `housing H vand as 'will be ei;- `planed`rnore ful-ly vhereinafter, these nuts vare factuated t'o eilect :axial adjustment of the cylinder'when the lvpress fis `in `operation as Well -as 'when it isistopped and they are yalso utilized fior llocking'th'e cylinder securely in its adjusted `position `to `prevent any unintended axial movement thereof while the press is in operation.

An :auxiliary rframe member 3|, which consti- .tutes an essential part of the adjusting and locking mechanism, is tted over the annular nuts 28 and 29 andis .secured in .position on the .side frame I3. Frame member 3| :provides support for the stub Vshaft 32 on which are rotatably mounted the intermediate gears 33 and 34 which are arranged to mesh with the teeth of the annular nuts 28 and 29 respectively, see Figures 1 and 4.

Also fixed to the lower end of frame member 3| is the horizontally disposed member 36 having an axial bore in which the hollow shaft 31 is rotatably mounted. The inner end of said shaft projects through the frame member 3| and is provided with splines 38 which mesh with the intermediate gear 33. To the free end of this shaft is secured the crank 39 comprising levers 40 and 4| and the handle 42. Consequently, when crank 39 is rotated, a relative angular displacement of the nut 28 will result due to the meshing relation of the splines 38 with the gear 33 and the teeth of nut 28. It will also be noted that the levers 40 and 4| are pivotally connected by means of the stud 43 so that while the press is in operation, lever 4| can be moved to an inoperative position as shown by the dotted lines in Figure 5 to make other press adjustments more accessible. Lever 4| carries a spring urged plunger 44 which is arranged to engage the recess 46 in lever 40 when the lever is in its operative position or the recess 41, also in lever 40, when in its inoperative position.

'Ihe annular nut 29 is actuated in a, similar manner. A shaft 48 is rotatably mounted within the hollow shaft 31 and is provided at its inner end with the pinion 49 which meshes with gear 34. At its outer end shaft 48 carries the lever 5| which is provided with a spring urged plunger 52 by means of which lever 5| is connected to crank 39 for adjustment purposes. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the pin 52 engages the recess 53 in lever 40 when an adjustment is to be made and it is released when the levers are to be moved to their locking positions as shown in Figure 5. Lever 5| is also provided with an indicator 54 which registers on the dial 56, the axial movement of the cylinder in thousandths of an inch.

When a lateral adjustment of the cylinder is to be made, the mechanism is first released for adjustment by holding lever 5| in position while crank 39 is turned clockwise until the plunger 52 drops into the recess 53 in lever 48. The coacting lever 5| and crank 39 are then interconnected and will move as a single unit to effect adjustment of the cylinder.

The independent clockwise movement of crank 39 also rotates the hollow shaft 31 which, through its splines 38, also rotates the intermediate gear 33 and thereby nut 28. This rotation of the nut 2B causes it to move from its locking relation in Contact with the frame member 3|, as shown in Figure 4, to a released position as shown in Figure l wherein it is spaced from said member 3| and the nuts 28 and 29 are then free to be rotated in unison.

To move the cylinder I laterally to the left for instance, as viewed in Figure l, crank 39 and therewith lever is rotated clockwise until the indicator 54 registers, in thousandths of an inch, the desired degree of movement. 'I'his rotation of the crank 39 and lever 5| in unison effects a relative clockwise rotation of the nuts 28 and 29. Because the nuts 28 and 29 are restrained from moving axially on the housing i1 by the outer surface of the side frame |3, the force is exerted against the frame I3 and transmitted through the nuts 28 and 29 to the housing I1 causing the housing and therewith the cylinder I0 to move laterally to the left. An adjustment of the cylinder to the right would be accomplished in the same manner, except that crank 39 would be turned counterclockwise and nut 28 would then exert pressure against the auxiliary frame 3| to urge the cylinder |0 to the right.

After the desired adjustment has been accompushed, the complete mechanism is locked securely against any unintended lateral movement. Plunger 52 is withdrawn from its seat in lever 40 and while lever 5I is held stationary, crank 39 is moved counterclockwise until nut 28 is set tightly against the inner face of the frame member 3| as shown in Figure 4.

It Will be readily apparent that with the nuts 28 and 29 in firm contact with the frame members 3| and I3 respectively, the cylinder Il] is effectively locked against any unintended lateral movement and any free play in the associated adjusting mechanism will be positively eliminated.

After the `cylinder is securely locked in position, lever 4| of crank 39 is moved to its inoperative position, as indicated by the broken lines in Figure 5, by releasing the plunger 44 from the recess 46 in lever 40 and turning lever 4| until said plunger drops into the recess 41.

While I have herein disclosed a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is merely by way of example and I do not wish to be limited to specific details of construction. It will be understood that modifications in the design and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In a printing press of the class set forth, the combination of a side frame, a plate cylinder, journalling means for said plate cylinder including a bearing housing slidably mounted in said side frame for axial movement therein together' with said cylinder, a pair of co-acting annular members threaded onto the outer end of said housing, an auxiliary housing mounted on the side frame and having coaction therewith to prevent axial movement of said annular members, and control means including a manually operable lever associated with each said annular members for rotating said members in unison and/or independently of each other, said members when rotated in unison having coaction with said auxiliary housing or said side frame to thereby effect lateral adjustment of the cylinder selectively in either direction and when rotated independently, having coaction with said housing and said side frame to thereby lock said cylinder in its adjusted position.

2. I'n a printing press of the class set forth, the combination of side frames, a plate cylinder mounted for rotation in said frames, journalling means for said plate cylinder including a bearing housing slidably mounted in one of said side frames for movement axially with said cylinder, a rst annual member and a second annular member having threaded engagement with the outer surface of said housing and effective when actuated in unison to impart lateral movement to the housing, retaining means mounted on one of the side frames for coaction therewith to prevent axial movement of said first and second annular members, mechanism operative to rotate said first and second annular members in unison whereby said members coact with said side frame or said retaining means to impart axial movement to said cylinder selectively in either direction, and means associated with said mechanism including a lever having operation to impart in- :i i) dependent rotation to said first annular member 1go thereby lock said cylinder in its adjusted posiion.

3. In a printing press of the class set forth, the combination of side frames, a printing cylinder, means for journalling the cylinder for rotation in said side frames, including a housing adapted to move axially with the cylinder While permitting independent rotation thereof, a pair of annular, externally toothed members threadedly engaging the outer surface of said housing, an auxiliary frame mounted concentrically over said members in a fixed position on one of the side frames and providing means in association with said frame to dei-ine the axial movement of said members, and means having meshing relation with the teeth of said members to effect rotation of both said members in unison whereby to effect lateral adjustment of said cylinder selectively in either direction, said means also being operable to rotate said members independently to thereby effectively lock said cylinder in its adjusted position.

4. In a printing press of the class set forth, the combination of side frames, a plate cylinder, means for journalling the plate cylinder in the side frames including a bearing housing adapted for axial movement with said cylinder, a first annular member and a second annular` member threadedly engaging the outer surface of said housing, an auxiliary frame xed on the side frame and adjacent the first annular member for limiting the axial movement of both said members, manually operable mechanism for rotating said members in unison, said members when rotated in clockwise direction having co-action with the side frame to thereby move the cylinder axially in one direction and when rotated in anticlockwise direction having co-action with the auxiliary frame to move the cylinder axially in the opposite direction, and means associated with said mechanism and operative to effect independent rotation of one of said members whereby to move said second annular member into contact with the side frame and said first annular member into contact with said auxiliary frame to thereby effectively lock said cylinder against unintended lateral movement.

5. In a printing press of the class set forth, the combination of side frames, a plate cylinder, journalling means for said cylinder including bearing housings slidably mounted in the side frames for movement axially with said cylinder, a pair of annular members adjustably mounted on the periphery of one of said housings, an auxiliary frame xed to said side frame and extending over said members thereby providing means for limiting the axial movement thereof in one direction, said members being adjustable with relation to the side frame and the auxiliary frame to 'impart lateral movement to said cylinder and to lock said cylinder against any unintended lateral movement, means including a crank associated with each annular member and operative to impart independent rotary motion to said members whereby to move them between locked and adjusting positions with respect to the side frame and the auxiliary frame, and means carried by said cranks and operative to interlock the cranks when in their adjusting positions, so that said cranks and thereby said members may be rotated in unison to effect lateral adjustment of the cylinder.

HENRI E. PEYREBRUNE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,425,914 Blackley et al Aug. 19, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 137,302 Great Britain Aug. 5, 1920 237,634 Switzerland May 15, 1945 554,727 France June 15, 1923 

